At least 21 people have been killed in torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan that have wreaked havoc across the country, causing massive flooding and widespread power outages.

At least 21 people have died so far in the first spell of Monsoon rains, officials said. Pakistan’s biggest city Karachi was worst hit as torrential rain wreaked havoc on the city’s creaky civic infrastructure, causing massive urban flooding and widespread power outages.(Photo: AP)

At least 21 people have been killed in torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan that have wreaked havoc across the country, causing massive flooding and widespread power outages. The heavy downpour started yesterday and has since continued to lash several parts of the country. At least 21 people have died so far in the first spell of Monsoon rains, officials said. Pakistan’s biggest city Karachi was worst hit as torrential rain wreaked havoc on the city’s creaky civic infrastructure, causing massive urban flooding and widespread power outages. At least eight people were killed in the city. The torrential rains also caused havoc in interior Sindh areas where four people were killed in coastal districts. In restive Balochistan province, a red alert has been issued in Lasbela and Khuzdar districts as intermittent rainfall in the last 24 hours caused flash floods and disrupted road communication.

Nine people lost their lives in Hub, Lasbela, while five others were rescued from the same area, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. The local administration with the help of the Frontier Corps rescued people stranded in different areas. There were no rain-related deaths reported in Punjab, however, according to a report from the Rescue and Safety department 54 large and small buildings were affected in weather-related incidents while several people were injured. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif yesterday directed the respective departments to be fully vigilant ahead of any flood eventuality and maintain a close and continuous liaison.

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The Pakistan Meteorological Department said more rain – accompanied by thundershowers and gusty winds – is expected in various areas, including Rawalpindi, Lahore and lower Sindh (Hyderabad, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions).